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Libertarian vs Authoritarian - What's the difference?

libertarian | authoritarian |

As nouns the difference between libertarian and authoritarian

is that libertarian is one who advocates liberty either generally or on a specific issue, e.g. "civil libertarian" (in favor of civil liberties) while authoritarian is one who commands absolute obedience to his or her authority.

As adjectives the difference between libertarian and authoritarian

is that libertarian is having the beliefs of libertarians; having a relative tendency towards liberty while authoritarian is of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority.

libertarian

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • One who advocates liberty either generally or on a specific issue, e.g. "civil libertarian" (in favor of civil liberties).
  • (chiefly, US) A believer in a political doctrine that emphasizes individual liberty and a lack of governmental regulation and oversight both in matters of the economy ('free market') and in personal behavior where no one's rights are being violated or threatened. Also 'classical liberal', akin to 'anarcho-capitalist'.
  • (chiefly, Europe) An anarchist, typically with socialist implications.(rfv-sense)
  • * 1973 Eugene Lunn, Prophet of Community: The Romantic Socialism of Gustav Landauer (Univ. of California Press) p. 200
    • Landauer's reorientation of anarchist theory and practice was the direction of idealist and völkisch thought was often incomprehensible to the more traditional libertarians , and in the period of the second Sozialist Landauer no longer felt entirely comfortable with the simple "anarchist" label. For Landauer anarchism and socialism had always been different expressions of the same view; now he regarded anarchism as "merely the negative side of what is positively called socialism."
  • * 2009 Peter Marshall, Demanding the Impossible: A History of Anarchism , p. 641
    • For a long time, libertarian' was interchangeable in France with anarchist but in recent years, its meaning has become more ambivalent. Some anarchists like David Guérin will call themselves 'libertarian socialists', partly to avoid the negative overtones still associated with anarchism, and partly to stress the place of anarchism with the socialist tradition. Even Marxists of the New Left like E. P. Thompson call themselves '' libertarian' to distinguish themselves from those authoritarian socialists and communists who believe in revolutionary dictatorship and vanguard parties.
  • * 2012 Wilbur R. Miller, The Social History of Crime and Punishment in America: An Encyclopedia (SAGE Publications) p.1008
    • While anarchism and socialist libertarians' have a rich history of revolutionary thinkers ranging from Emma Goldman to George Orwell, the best-known socialist ' libertarian thinker of today is probably Noam Chomsky.
  • (philosophy) A believer in thinking beings' freedom to choose their own destiny, i.e. a believer in free will as opposed to those who believe the future is predetermined.
  • (chiefly, US) A member of a political party that emphasizes self-government in economic and personal issues.

    • Derived terms

    *Libertarian Party

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Having the beliefs of libertarians; having a relative tendency towards liberty.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2012-01
    • , author=Steven Sloman , title=The Battle Between Intuition and Deliberation , volume=100, issue=1, page=74 , magazine= citation , passage=Libertarian paternalism is the view that, because the way options are presented to citizens affects what they choose, society should present options in a way that “nudges” our intuitive selves to make choices that are more consistent with what our more deliberative selves would have chosen if they were in control.}}
  • * He has libertarian views.
  • * A libertarian capitalist.
  • (dated) Relating to liberty, or to the doctrine of free will, as opposed to the doctrine of necessity.

    • See also

    * (Libertarianism) * (Anarchism)

    References

    authoritarian

    English

    (wikipedia authoritarian)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Of, or relating to, absolute obedience to an authority.
  • Characterised by a tyrannical obedience to an authority; dictatorial.
    • The authoritarian government was demanding stricter laws for low-wage peasants.
  • Tending to impose one's demands upon others as if one was an authority.

    • Synonyms

    * (sense, tending to impose one's demands) commanding, imperious * (characterised by a tyrannical obedience to an authority) illiberal, oppressive * See also

    Antonyms

    * (characterised by a tyrannical obedience to an authority) liberal

    Derived terms

    * authoritarianism * antiauthoritarian

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • One who commands absolute obedience to his or her authority.
    • The dictator was an authoritarian .
  • One who follows and is excessively obedient to authority.
  • * 2006', Robert Altemeyer, ''The '''Authoritarians